FranchiseCanada September | October 2017 27ing point. They convinced the new franchisee there to
invest $25,000 in exhaust systems so she could serve hot
meals. It was a good choice, as the franchise’s annual
sales doubled in a year.
“The rest was history,” says Bill. Franchise growth
was gradual and steady over the next 10 years, but over
the past few, it’s gotten even stronger. The reasons, he
says, have a lot to do with a dedicated head office and a
robust franchise system that allows franchisees to find
success if they just follow the formula.
Franchising success
Finding that kind of franchise success begins with find-
ing the right franchisees, says Bill. “As much as you want
someone who’s an entrepreneur and who can come up
with new ideas, you really want that person who says
‘Okay, I’m committing to a Symposium Cafe, I trust the
value of the brand, and I’m going to follow their systems.’
And you don’t even need restaurant experience to suc-
ceed here.”
Zaki Agha had no restaurant experience when he
started the Ajax franchise in 2013. A trained accountant,
he just knew he was ready for a new start. “I looked at
other franchise options, but I fell in love with Sympo-
sium,” he says. “It was the unique idea, catering to all
ages, seven-day promotions, and the upscale dining feel
when you go in – all of these drew me in.”
It wasn’t easy for Agha at the beginning, however.
With 120 menu items and 40 staff members, there was a
lot to learn and manage. His weekly sales number in the
first few months hovered around $20,000. What began to
turn things around was his familiarity and trust in Sym-
posium’s systems, he says, not to mention the extensive
hands-on training he received.
Every new franchisee starts with three months of
training in another franchise, followed by about 10
weeks of support from at least four head office staff once
they’re in the new franchise. “We’ll also help franchisees
with hiring their key people,” says Mike Fox, Sympo-
sium’s VP of Operations. “And we have a system where
we certify staff, and a part of that is ensuring they know
the system well. That helps to get things flowing at the
start, because it’s really the systems that run the stores.”
After the 10 weeks of in-store training are up, there
are at least two visits per week from an operations team
member for the next three months. And if a franchisee
needs even more support, head office will provide it.
Such was the case for Zaki Agha, who was struggling
to get people in the door in his first few months. Head
office stepped up with marketing and advertising sup-
port, and it worked. “Within the first four or five months,
I was doing very well,” says Agha, “and now I’m in the top
three restaurants in Ajax on Trip Advisor.” His sales have
more than doubled, to between $40,000 and $45,000 per
week, and in 2015 and 2016, he was named Symposium’s
franchisee of the year.Small-town proud
It may seem strange to hear that Zaki Agha is having that
success at a franchise location that isn’t exactly in the
most highly visible area. But it’s not so strange to Sympo-
sium franchisees, as customers see them as destination
restaurants. The company’s top-grossing franchise is in
the back of a plaza in Milton that you can’t even see from
a nearby major intersection. “That was franchisee John
Palumbo, who convinced us to open there in 2008,” saysCOVER STORY
“I looked at other franchise
options, but I fell in love
with Symposium. It was the
unique idea, catering to all
ages, seven-day promotions,
and the upscale dining feel
when you go in – all of these
drew me in.”